A liberal archbishop, Robert Zollitsch, was voted in as chair of Germany's Catholic bishops' conference on Tuesday to succeed Karl Lehmann as the country's top Catholic prelate.

Zollitsch, 69, said he would continue the policies of his friend Lehmann, a leading moderate in the world Catholic church who will remain the bishop of Mainz and a conference member.

Lehmann, head of Germany's 26 million Catholics for more than 20 years, is standing down for health reasons.

"We're so close on our views on theology that it will be hard to detect any differences between us," Zollitsch said.

Zollitsch was appointed archbishop in the southwestern city of Freiburg - Germany's second biggest diocese - five years ago by Pope John Paul II. His term as chair of the conference runs for six years.

Zollitsch argues that celibacy among priests is desirable but not a theological necessity and he is reported as favouring a reform of the way bishops are elected.

Wolfgang Huber, head of the EKD Protestant Church, welcomed the appointment and said he hoped to continue and develop a ecumenical dialogue with Zollitsch.

"He stands for a Catholic Church aware of its traditions in a very established region, but he also represents a willingness to reform," Huber told Reuters television.

Although Germany has a roughly equal number of Protestants and Catholics and relations are generally good, some practical problems divide German Christians. A Catholic ban on communion for Protestants keeps many mixed-faith couples from taking the Eucharist together.

Lehmann announced his decision to resign last month and will officially hand over on Monday.